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G7 summit: a Paris Agreement test

The G7 Summit in Shima, Japan, was the first occasion for the G7 Heads of States to gather since the Paris Agreement was agreed upon last December, with climate and energy on the official G7 agenda.

Clearly, the aggregated commitments are not in line with the 2C target, a temperature rise no longer considered safe, let alone 1.5C. Major economies need to deal with the ambition void rather than just celebrate what was accomplished.

The rapid and serious deterioration of planetary conditions, as exemplified by the bush fires in Alberta and record temperatures in India, makes the necessity to address climate change a moral issue.

As a pro-renewables and anti-nuclear advocate, the legacy of the Fukushima disaster provides a ray of hope for more sustainable energy options. Yet Japan is a climate laggard, for one main reason - coal.
Japan not only plans to build 49 plants, it is the largest financier of coal overseas.

Japan and other G7 countries need to seriously plan for a just transition towards a low-carbon economy, a future fueled by 100% renewable energy unlocking the creation of millions of green jobs.